Raphael

My name is Raphael and I am a lawyer. I graduated with a Master's degree in Finance from Sciences Po Paris before going for a BA in Corporate and Business Law from the Universite Paris II Assas. I completed a Master’s Degree in Capital Markets and Securities Law from the Universite Paris Sud (Paris XI) and a Master’s Degree in Financial Engineering and Tax Strategy from the University Pantheon Sorbonne (Paris I). I also cleared the Ecole de Formation Professionnelle des Barreaux de la Cour d’Appel de Paris (Paris Bar Exam).

I have worked as an Auditor with Deloitte before working as a Transaction Manager and Controller at ING Trade rand then as a Senior Adviser, Accounting and Taxation for the European Savings Banks Group/ World Savings Banks Institute.

As a lawyer with expertise in tax law, I was a Senior Adviser Accounting and Taxation which is a big word to say that I was a lobbyist, trying to reduce as much as possible, the amount of tax paid by banks. Even though I enjoyed my job, I was looking for a more international career, outside Brussels and was looking to be more business-oriented, no longer wanting to work as a lobbyist. I wanted to move into management consulting and then move on to a strategic and management position in a Fortune 500 company. I decided to go for an MBA at INSEAD because I already had three masters and had spent over the first ten years after my high school diploma studying. So I needed a short program. INSEAD is very strong in management consulting, the field in which I wanted to work with. Also, I got married just before starting INSEAD and my wife is also a lobbyist. So I could not move very far from Brussels where we are currently based.

As someone with a liberal arts background, I found the GMAT very challenging. I studied political science and law and had not done the math for over 15 years before going for the GMAT. I had also never taken a Multiple choice test before, nor a computerized test. The GMAT was a real shock for me. I needed nine months of preparation to reach the minimum score required by INSEAD. Dr. Hubert Silly and his team spent a lot of time making sure that I was well prepared for the GMAT and I cannot thank them enough for their dedication and service, helping me move from 350 to 680 in the GMAT. I must confess that after passing the GMAT I burnt the book as it was a really traumatic experience for me.

I have lived in and around Paris all my life. Getting to be a part of the Fontainebleau circuit was quite an interesting change for me. I was very firm in my idea of what I wanted out of INSEAD. And I was quite happy with what I achieved. First of all the classes at INSEAD are conducted by world-renowned experts. The curriculum is one of the most intense and I was very happy with the facilities provided to the students. The student body is also very active at INSEAD and I was able to create a huge network of professionals who have become great friends in the long run.

Be prepared for a great deal of work especially if you have a liberal arts background like me. The GMAT is proved to be a test of your patience and motivation too. Don’t hesitate to cumulate education. An MBA is very different from any other degree and you should not feel like one degree is enough. There is no harm in always learning new subjects. Education can only help you get better.

Finally, the admission process to an MBA is very unique and something we do not see in Europe generally. Be surrounded by people who know and understand this process very well, whether it be for the application or the GMAT and I can only recommend the services of Dr. Hubert Silly who, like me is a Sciences Po Paris graduate and I am very proud that our community has someone like him who helps hundreds of students each year get their dream schools and changes their life.